Why?

[Shotgun John]

If it keeps this up I reckon I'll have to see if mine can trail a rabbit on snow. I don't like it myself. I am getting cabin fever. I can't work in the snow so I am getting bored.

[jim matuszewski]

Heres a pic. from hunting feb.4th yesterday(the date setting is screwed up on my camera) Keith C. these ones are a little tougher to see in the snow Up here in wi. it's not a big deal about running on snow the biggest chalange is finding a few dogs that are consistantly good at it. Wish we were getting the snow that your getting south right now the snow is really getting pretty old right now hard on dogs feet and fresh snow holds scent better

[rabbitearl]

No snow here.John if it keeps raining here In the south of NC I going to have to get a boat.Never seen it rain like it has in the last 3 months.I would bet alot of rabbits has die too.Hope not.

[mobeagle]

we are getting a wet snow. slushy wet snow. it rained for awhile now it turned into snow and I've got a big rabbit hunt going down sunday so thats why I started this post.........lol

think about 6inches by tonight. No snow saturday and gonna hunt sunday start around 10am

That nice wet snow we got is real good smellin. According to the garmin we ran a coyote 22 miles today and the dogs never skipped a beat.

I'd rather hunt on the snow anyday. I can see the tracks and its easier to see the rabbits. The right type of snow makes for some awesome running to.

[Swampman]

As for the ice balls building up on their nails, I don't have that problem and don't know why either.
I have always looked forward to winter and snow, don't really know why, just do.
Maybe because it means hunting season, but it sure is a beautiful site to see when everything is white, kinda makes things seem clean and pure after a fresh snow.
I will say that this year has been the worst in my memory, we got about two feet of snow in December then it rained in early Jan. and got cold, most nights well below zero and hasn't snowed until two nights ago and then it was only about an inch or two. We have been hunting on a 10 inch thick block of ice! Suppose to get another inch or two tonight so maybe we'll finally have some good running tomorrow.
I've always been able to take the cold real well also.
Now you southern boys with that heat, I don't know how you survive in the summer!
I get right down miserable when it hits the 80's with humidity.
Can always put more clothes on if its cold but can only take so many off when its hot!

Hey Jim, really looking forward to the big hunt coming up, I can't wait!

Swamp

[chuck r]

Joey

I was born in Mo, moved to Mi when I was 10,Never knew what snow was. I don`t think it`s a fascination , I think it`s a fact of life,depends on where you live as to how much fact there is.I love it,the only thing I can say is,try an enjoy it ,run your dogs in it while it`s there other wise I guess stay on the porch till it melt`s and goes away.

Good huntin

[Shotgun John]

No snow here.John if it keeps raining here In the south of NC I going to have to get a boat.Never seen it rain like it has in the last 3 months.I would bet alot of rabbits has die too.Hope not.

I feel like an Idiot. Sometime since 2:30 o'clock, the snow turned to rain. Still plenty of snow on the ground. It's really going to be nasty in the morning.

[MasonsBeagles]

snow is when the old timers without dogs could usually kill a rabbit easier.

[klrconcrete]

I guess that I am used to spending a majority of the time that I do running and gunning on snow so it really doesnt have alot of fascination anymore. What is the fascination with shooting a dozen or so cottontails and posting a picture on line?

[rabbitsmoker]

snow is when the old timers without dogs could usually kill a rabbit easier.

Yep in a magazine i have on Willet Randal life history he said they would go out in the snow with-out thier dogs and kill rabbits and then load thier hounds up and go running.I remember when i was a kid we would go and those rabbits would just sit there you could almost catch them when snow was on the ground.

[fasttrackpa]

Most of our rabbit season is in winter. That means snow and ice, I like to see whats the worst my hounds can run in. Most dogs can run a rabbit on bare ground and 40 degrees, it takes dog power to run when it's 15 below and the snow is like concrete. Fresh snow is like bare ground, if it is not too deep. I would rather run in the snow than bare ground. No Skeeters, ticks, rattlers or any of that kind of stuff to worry about.

[brush_hog]

It's not a fascination for me. I like to hunt rabbits. If it's raining , snowing, sleeting... whatever. Here in Pa there is about one month in fall to hunt, and almost two months in winter. That may soon change to two and a half months pending new legislation. I would rather hunt than sit in the living room. Like others have said, the hunting is easier in the winter. Bunnies stick out like a sore thumb. I think I still prefer fall hunting, but I'm not sure. I love it all!

[billfosburgh]

i love running on snow. a fresh or wet snow is great scenting conditions & you can see the rabbits a lot better. we have a place here that is so thick we dont hunt it until a good heavy snow takes some of the weeds & stuff down, other wise you cant get a shot. some of my most memorable & good hunts have been when it was snowing hard. as for ice & snowballs on the feet, Pam cooking spray works great

[packmaster]

because were runnin paycheck blood.

[jason]

Joey,
i am in upstate NY and when i say upstate next stop ontario. Right now running cottontail on snow sucks they are sitting very tight because the snow has no crust and is 9-12" deep so they cant run in it, i tried to run my bitch at home wed. afternoon she jumped 4 cottontail 3 made less than a circle before going to hole the fourth made the mistake of trying to go back to where she jumped it that one became dinner.
Running on snow is in no way a killing fascination of mine i dont take my gun most times. We go up on Tug Hill where the snow is 3-4 ft deep right now and run snowshoes, its not Maine where there is hundreds of hare, the dog have to work hard to get one up if we killed even 2 or 3 hare in a spot every time we went we would be looking for new spots all the time. For me the deep snow is a training tool the dogs have to buckle down and hunt, it takes big nose, xtreme hunt, lots of muscle tone that you cant get on bare ground, brains, long days requires a dog with no bottom. Last weekend i ran the hill with two of my hounds one day it never got above +2 degrees the hounds did 9 miles in deep snow sunday was warmer but snowed hard all day like 10" in 4 hrs the hounds ran harder that day they did 11 miles, thats 20 miles of swimming in snow up to their collar you can't imagine what that does for their conditioning. The bad part of this kind of training 1 if your dog isn't fast on a good scent day it's not going to get a sniff and 2 if your dog has any holes your going to find it. Good (snow hounds) aren't born if they have nose, brains, bottom, and a crazy owner they can be made. See Ya the woods are calling me!

Jason